Eyton Motte

Description

Apparently put on the SMR on the basis of a UCCAP AP of rather indeterminate earthworks around Eyton Farm (Shropshire County Council SMR Record card for PRN SA 02169)
APs taken in 1990 suggest that these features are no longer upstanding earthworks (aerial photographs Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust. 1990. Oblique View, 1990)
The fields to the west of the N/S road running through the hamlet are ploughed. No earthworks of any kind visible from looking over fence. The field to the east is pasture. There is a bank running near and parallel to the south side of the field, which would have formed the north boundary of an old road which can be seen on the 6ins map. There is a natural ridge running E/W across the field, the land to the N being lower. On walking across the field, faint and ill defined ridge and furrow could be seen. At the north end of the field this was pronounced, and the furrows have been re-used as drainage channels taking water into a stream running along the North side of the field ... The only other earthwork seen was a slight platform, c 30m N/S and 10m E/W near some large trees in the western half of the field. The large trees used to be on a field boundary shown on the 6ins map, but now removed, and the platform, although not aligned with the trees may be associated with the old field boundaries here. Otherwise, it could be a house platform. The earthworks are low but stable . The R & F would not survive if the field was ploughed. (Field recording form: Horton Wendy B. 1991-Jan-14)
In June 1992 C Musson interpreted his 1990 photo as a motte (Musson Chris R. 1992. Comment, 18/06/1992)
Interpreted as shrunken medieval settlement. An area of ridge and furrow earthworks was noted during the walk-over survey in the field immediately to the east of Eyton Pump House. The earthworks covered all but the westernmost end of the field; the ridges were spaced apx 12m to 15m apart from their centres, and survived to a height of 0.25m. These ridge and furrow earthworks represent the earthwork remains of medieval ploughing in one of the former open fields of the medieval settlement of Eyton. In the 19th century the field was known as "Upper Lower Ditches" (Hannaford 2000). (Shropshire HER 02169)

Site of a destroyed chapel at Eyton (Dukes 1844) Trinity chapel, Eyton, which is marked on a map of 1593, but is not otherwise recorded, stood to the west of Lower Eyton Farm in a field called Chapel Bank (VCH 1968). (Shropshire HER 02976)

Comments

Although now rather isolated there was a 'chapel' marked on a map of 1593 west of the farm so probably the location of a high status building and the earthworks are interpreted as a deserted settlement. Eyton record two manors at Eyton, both held for a fraction of a knights fee. A good number of settlements in this area have small mottes and there seems no particular reason to reject Musson's interpretation, although the google map aerial photo shows very little.